Greetings, pop pickers!

Brits of a certain age will regret the passing of Alan Freeman, MBE, at the age of 79. On the BBC Light Programme "Fluff" introduced us to rock 'n' roll when it was as young as we were and the local heroes were Cliff Richard and Tommy Steele.

I'm sure Michael Grade remembers those days. He might even have known Freeman. His father, Leslie Grade, one of the most powerful agents of the day, might even have represented him. 63 year old Michael Grade delivers the day's second (Brit)media headline by leaving his post as Chairman of the BBC to take over the ITV network and guide it out of its present turmoil. Oh, and he's in line for a ten-fold increase in his take-home pay by making this astute move.

But enough of us old codgers.



That's more like it. Jessica Rose setting the mood for two links I find valuable.

In GQ Magazine Nate Penn has elaborated on the milestones in the amazingly brief and outrageously lucrative history of YouTube. It's not the most comfortable read, requiring multiple jumps to reveal the article's five pages, but it is enlightening stuff.

Via Unmediated (link in my blogroll) I came across a very fat white paper by Steve Borsch titled The Rise of Participation Culture. It's a 55 page PDF which I'll read over dinner.

Finally for this morning, from a site which is new to me called Loaded Pun there is the following caveat for any thinking about video blogging. Three of my favourite vlogs illustrate the writer's point well.

MOBUZZ TV_____________COOL HUNTING________GEEKBRIEF TV


Forget about Vlogging...

An article by Penelope Trunk has caused a small stir in the videoblogging group. The automatic response has been that dear Ms. Trunk "just doesn’t get it". I think she "gets" a lot more than some vloggers care to admit.

The field of well-known video bloggers is much smaller than the field of well-known text-based bloggers. So it might look like video blogging is a quick route to a big audience, but the truth is that the bar is higher with video than with text.

Using loaded words such as "talent" and "charisma", Trunk argues that not everyone has a personality suited to building and keeping a sizable internet audience. Quality is important - not just the quality of the camera, the lighting and the sound, but, also, the quality of the "talent" on the screen. She goes on to list five reasons why you should start a vlog:

1. You are commenting on things that can be seen on video.
2. You have a lot you want to illustrate.
3. You need to show your emotional side.
4. You know you should blog but you don’t have the time.
5. You are really, really funny and intelligent and charismatic.

It is important to remember here that Trunk is speaking of popular vlogs. Anyone can post video (provided they have the tools and have the technical knowledge to do so), but not everyone can have a popular vlog.

Trunk is also refering to starting a business vlog, not art or diary inspired vlogs. Criteria differs depending on the desired audience. If you are going to be on camera, however, charisma and beauty still play a role in your audience numbers, not matter what type of vlog you’re hoping to make.

Within that context, I have to argue with a couple of her points and add one of my own.

Number four, the issue of time, is completely incorrect. Blogging is much faster than vlogging, otherwise, I’d be vlogging this blog! Making video takes time - time to plan what you are going to be doing, set up, shoot, edit, and upload. Quality can be time consuming and there is a definite learning curve. If you are not creative, you will need to find someone who is and get them on your team.

Number five, humour, intelligence and charisma, may be the winning qualities in a male "host" but, for a female ‘hostess", visual appearance outweighs most anything else. At the very least, beauty must accompany either intelligence or charisma. Humour is not necessary. Jeff Jarvis of Buzz Machine calls it 'videogenic' You do not need to have these qualities yourself to have a successful vlog but you should be willing to hire a spokesperson who has these qualities.

This is what I would add:

6. You attend conferences and other networking events and know important people who would be willing to promote your vlog.

Fortunately, vlogging can be about more than popularity and entertainment. It can be about chronicling your life, self expression, art, storytelling and reaching out. It can be about politics, religion, debate and opinion. It can be about horsing around with friends and making new ones or trying to change the world.